AABODY in the North East has their ain opinions on Doric. Tae some fowk it’s an important an genuine dialect o the Scots leid wi complex grammar an syntax.

Tae ithers, aften supporters o the Union, the uise, an celebration o Doric is a threat, as it’s a wye o displayin a national an regional identity that has nithin tae dae wi bein British. For this reason, fowk in the North East fa dinna support Scots independence will aften caa Doric “gobbeldygook” or “nae a real dialect o a real leid”. The majority though, either dinna put ower muckle thocht intae it, because, tae them, Doric is simply the wye that they were brocht up tae spik, or think that Doric is ootdatit, an only for aulder fowk.

Sadly, it’s mair an mair becamin the case that young fowk beleve the latter. In scuils, bairns are aften bein made tae spik “richt”, fit is code for “Inglis”, raither than Doric or Scots, richt fae day dot, e’en in primary ane. Aften, because bairns canna uise the dialect in scuil, the only chunce they get tae pit Scots leid tae guid uise is at hame wi faimily, an in particular aulder relatives.

Ah will admit that this is the case mair in some Aiberdeenshire toons than in ithers, an is maist likely a bigger problem in Aiberdeen city than oot in kwintra scuils. Nae maitter tae fit extint it is happenin though, it is still a massive issue that oor bairns are bein conditioned sae that mony a young adult gaungs oot in tae the warld believin that North East Scots is dyin oot, an only for auld fowk.

Aire’s aye gaun tae be ane or twa naysayers fa dinna realise foo important it is that bairns continue tae lairn their hame tongue. But av coorse it’s imperative tae the survival o North East Scots. If new generations dinna lairn it, then it’s gaun tae die oot wi them fa hiv. We should be encouragin bairns an young adults tae be prood o their dialect, because, at the end o the day it’s aa relatit tae their history an heritage.

It disnae hae tae be political either. If the Welsh can be sae prood o their ain leid, an continue tae be pairt o the Union, then surely bein a supporter o independence disnae hae tae be a prerequisite o supportin the uise an continuation o Scots leid an Doric dialect.

It’s aboot time Scots leid wis taught in Scots scuils. Nae ifs, nae buts. Scots is ane o oor three national leids, the ither twa, English an Gaelic, baith bein taught in scuils an then examined by the SQA. Teachin Scots in scuils would mair than likely revive Doric, an ither regional dialects, as it would show bairns that Scots leid an dialects can be uised oot in the warld an wi yer pals, raither than jist at hame, or wi yer grunny. Teachin Scots in scuils would also be a wye tae increase the nummer o bilingual bairns in Scotland. Bein able tae spik, read an scrieve in Scots, an in Inglis would mean that Scots bairns would reap aa o the benefits that bein bilingual can bring, sic as lowerin the risk o dementia an Alzeimer’s. It could be the case ina, that lairnin Scots is a gatewye tae bairns bein mair willin tae lairn ither leids. For mony bairns it could be the easiest leid tae lairn, since it’s aa roon aboot them.

Fan Ah helpit oot wi a S2 German class durin ma last ‘ear at scuil, mony a bairn telt ma “aire’s nae pynt in ma lairnin German, Ah’m nivver gaun tae gaung tae Germany”. Wi Scots, aire’s nae ‘at excuse. Until Scots is taught in scuils, an appears as an official SQA subject, breathin the life back intae North East Scots isnae gaun tae be easy. Reversin an existin, untrue stereotype aboot Doric isnae jist gaun tae happen ower nicht. Fooiver, there are fowk fa are tryin.

Oot o aa o the toons in the North East, aire’s nae mony mair prood o their teuchter heritage an tounge than Turra. Yi can tell the Turra twang a mile awa. It still cam as a plesant surprise fooiver, tae learn that, this month jist past, the toon wis haein their very ain Doric Wik, fit wis organised bi the community funded organisation the Doric Neuk.

A spokesperson for the Doric Neuk said that Doric Wik wis a wye tae “preserve, promote an celebrate” the Doric tongue. Ae wye that this wis deen wis a competition, atween local businesses, tae fin fa could cam up wi the best Doric shop windae display. Mony a shop windae in Turra had Doric poems an phrases stuck tae the inside for aabody waakin doon the street tae enjoy. This is a guid thing in sae mony wyes. First o aa it’s a wye tae promote nae only oor hame tongue but oor local businesses ina. The best thing aboot it though, is that it lets bairns, an adults alike, see that Doric is alive an kickin an fun! An, it wisnae jist the fowk in Turra fa were able tae see this, as the event wis spread far an wide on social media.

Throughoot ae wik in June aire wis also events held in Turra library an museum, sic as Doric stories fer bairns, an Doric Ryhmetime. Aa o this is gaun tae mak a difference tae the futur o oor dialect. The Doric Neuk, fit has been on the go for aboot twa ‘ear noo, dinna plan tae stop there though. The organisation has jist stairted a Doric beuk collection an maks Doric quizzes for fowk fa are interested in lairnin mair aboot it, or helpin somebody that they ken lairn mair aboot it.

They hae high hopes o haudin ither events tae continue the guid wark their daein in tryin tae breath the life back in tae Doric, but they need mair helpers tae mak these events bigger, better an mair frequent.

Onybody interested in gien them a haun, or jist interested in lairnin mair aboot the organisation an North East Scots should gie their stallie a visit at the Turra show or hae a keek at their Facebook page.

Doric is slowly but surely becamin, ance again, mair alive in the minds o young fowk, this is evident wi aa o the Doric memes and social media pages on the go at the mínty. Hopefully we can becam a generation fa celebrates the dialect jist as muckle as, if nae mair than, the generations fa hav cam afore us. But, for ‘at tae becam a reality we’ve got a lang wye tae go.